In this paper, we present a novel approach to defining, teaching, and assessing creativity by examining its origins and delineating the processes involved. The rationale for introducing this framework developed from studying existing thinking and questioning the current metrics for measuring creativity, which we posit are unfit for purpose. We…

Educational technologies have advanced one of the most important visions of educational reformers, to customize formal and informal learning to individuals. The application of a complex systems framework to the design of learning ecologies suggests that each of a series of ten desirable and malleable features stimulates or propels the other ten,…

To truly move toward a more peaceful society, it is imperative that peace education better address structural and institutional violence. This requires that it be integrated into institutions outside of schools and universities. Doing so will be challenging, as many of these institutions are structured on domination and control, not on partnership…

This article explores the affinities and parallels between Foucault's Nietzschean view of history and models of complexity developed in the physical sciences in the twentieth century. It claims that Foucault's rejection of structuralism and Marxism can be explained as a consequence of his own approach which posits a radical ontology whereby the…

This paper rereads John Dewey's works in the light of complexity theory and self-organising systems. Dewey's pragmatic inquiry is posited as inspirational for developing a logic of education and learning that would incorporate novelty and creativity, these artistic elements being part and parcel of the science of complexity. Dewey's philosophical…

Although ideas about digital media and learning have become an important area for educational research, little attention has been given to the practical and conceptual implications for the school curriculum. In this book, Ben Williamson examines a series of contemporary curriculum innovations in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia that…

This paper describes an evolving systems approach for use in exploring aspects of creativity, including: measurement of creativity; uniqueness; processes which amplify deviation; novelty and progress; chance and purpose; networks of enterprise; self-concept; difficulty, duration, and purpose; sudden insight; and sequential stage theories. (JDD)

Several commentaries on Howard Gruber's paper, "The Evolving Systems Approach to Creative Work," are offered: "How High Should One Climb to Find Common Ground?" (Robert Albert); "Where is the Evolving Milieu?" (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi); "Creativity: The Individual, The Systems, The Approach" (Todd Lubart and Robert Sternberg); and "Quality and…

A model of the Darwinian evolution of creative thinking is proposed. Creative thinking is modeled as a re-linkage of connections among mental representations, occurring in relationship to gene-culture heterarchy, which is a system of causative and motivational connections among the individual, the innate regularities of cognitive development, and…

Proposes a methodology for collaborative innovation, which leads to cognitive development. Topics include a systems approach to lifelong learning; distributed cognition versus collaborative innovation activities; motivation for lifelong learning; creativity and interaction; the role of the Internet; and fuzzy set theory and assessment of cognitive…

This article talks about leading significant learning opportunities through conflict of ideas in a school system. Catalyzing school change can turn emotional differences of opinion into learning opportunities. Leaders who want to deal effectively with these challenging, often tense situations need to be more than good managers. They need to be…

This article considers the nature of creativity in industrial and business settings, describes the Manchester (England) Business School Creativity Unit, models creativity in systems terms, reviews action research of the 1970s, and identifies recent areas of research at Manchester including creativity blocks and the impact of creativity training in…

Includes "Management Studies at Oxford" (Snow); "Building Organizations that Learn" (Fulmer); "Inter Cultural Management Associates" (Garcel); "Center for Creative Leadership" (Noer); "Applying New Science Theories in Leadership Development Activities" (Stumpf); and "An Academic Model of…

Many criticize the educational system, arguing that it suppresses individual creativity. This paper proposes an alternative instructional design which is intended to be used by educators in planning for creative learning and assessing it in the classroom. It is based on the notion that everyone has the potential to be creative and that any process…